10/27/2008 @ 6:00PM

In Pictures: Top-Earning Dead Celebrities

No. 7: John Lennon

Earnings: $9 million

Occupation: Singer-songwriter

Died: Dec. 8, 1980

Age: 40

Cause: Murder

Lennon’s income peaked in 2006 at $24 million, mainly because of the one-off settlement of a lawsuit among the Beatles, Apple and music distributor EMI. But Lennon is still doing fine. Imagine a steady stream of music-publishing royalties, merchandising and licensing agreements. Imagine $9 million a year, with most of it going to charity in pursuit of anti-war efforts.